


There Was an Archer and a Man

by Omicheese



Category: Sweeney Todd - Sondheim/Wheeler, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, M/M, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 03:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2798057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omicheese/pseuds/Omicheese
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sondheim lyrics rewritten for <i>The Children of Hurin</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Barber and his Wife

**Author's Note:**

> I feel rude even trying to rewrite the lyrics of so great a lyricist as Stephen Sondheim, but this idea would not leave me alone until I'd finished it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tune to this one can be heard [here.](http://youtu.be/NDLMAn684eg) This is from Turin's point of view.

There’s a curse on the world like a sickness fell  
Stretching down from the north where the monsters dwell  
That the armies of the world cannot dispel  
And it goes by the name of darkness

Morgoth sits on his throne where the shadows lie  
As he glares at the earth from his seat on high  
And defiles everything he sees—yes, I  
Have seen the world and all its wonders  
For the cruelty of fate is as wondrous as the stars  
But there’s no end to darkness

There was an archer and a Man  
And he was beautiful  
An elvish archer and a Man  
With piercing eyes and steady hand  
And he was beautiful  
And he was valorous  
And the Man was weak

But Morgoth’s heart was full of spite  
For all that’s beautiful  
They were assaulted in the night  
The Man was overcome with fright  
He could not recognize his foe  
There was no way that he could know  
He saw the sword  
He fought  
He stabbed  
He brought down one so beautiful

_(“And the Man?” asked Niniel. “What became of him?”)_

Oh, it’s been many years since then  
His name was never heard again


	2. Poor Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The context of this one is a lot different from the original context of the song in the show, which can be heard [here](http://youtu.be/hD_OrQetGJc). This is Beleg's side of the story.

There was an archer and a Man  
And he was beautiful  
The finest swordsman in his clan  
But then from Doriath he ran  
And he was beautiful

_(“Why did he run?” asked Mandos.)_

_(“It was not his fault,” whispered Beleg.)_

There was this fight, you see  
Silly little thing  
Accidental mess  
So he fled from the wrath of the king  
Poor thing  
Dear thing

I found the Man, you see  
With a band of thugs  
Brought to him the news of his absolution  
But he wanted no restitution  
Staying there was his resolution  
Proud fool  
Dear thing

Said he meant to stay with his men on that mountainside  
Battling the forces of Morgoth until he died  
Could not be persuaded no matter how hard I tried  
Dear thing  
Said that he would never come home, dear thing

_(“Thou shouldst have returned to thy post in Doriath, if thy errand was complete,” said Mandos. “Why wouldst thou stay?”)_

The Man I had from his childhood known  
Dear thing, sweet thing  
To see him there in those halls of stone  
The boy was nothing but flesh and bone  
I dared not leave him to fight alone  
Poor thing  
Dear thing

We fought side by side there  
Dear thing, dear thing  
Our fortress it seemed could not fall  
But orcs crept inside there  
Dear friend, dear thing  
They hid and attacked in the night, dear thing  
They kidnapped my friend from the fight, dear thing  
I chased down and slaughtered them all

I untied the kid; last thing I ever did

In darkness the poor boy was blind, you see  
And thought that the orcs must be near  
Was terrified out of his mind, you see  
And grabbed the first thing he could find, you see  
Poor dear  
Dear thing


End file.
